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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30123039">dancing in a snow globe 'round and 'round</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/juliesdahlia/pseuds/juliesdahlia'>juliesdahlia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>9-1-1 (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Pining, Soft Eddie Diaz, like seriously just tooth rotting fluff, no beta we die like buck's heterosexuality upon seeing eddie for the first time, post 4a</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-16 02:07:20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,741</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30123039</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/juliesdahlia/pseuds/juliesdahlia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eddie mock-glares at him. “You’re a coward, starting something when you know I can’t retaliate since you’re holding your niece.”</p>
<p>Buck smirks smugly. “This little one will protect me,” He says and bends down to nuzzle her head, making her burst out into giggles. Eddie has to look away abruptly, something inexplicably warm and fuzzy building in his chest, a feeling of want so strong he thinks his heart might burst.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>491</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>9-1-1 Tales</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>dancing in a snow globe 'round and 'round</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    
<p></p><div class="">
  <p>As Eddie lets himself into Buck’s apartment, he is instantly greeted with the high-pitched wails of a crying baby and the sight of his best friend looking minutes away from beginning to cry himself as he bounces his niece in his arms. Eddie bites back a smile, closing the door behind him.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“I thought you said this was an <em>emergency</em>,” He teases. Buck looks up, his expression morphing from one of relief to a glare.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Make yourself useful and help me,” Buck all but whines. “She won’t stop crying and I don’t know what to do, I tried feeding her and it didn’t work. Her-her diaper doesn’t need to be changed and I-I don’t know, am I hurting her? <em>Why</em> did Maddie let me babysit? I’m terrible at this!”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Alright, alright,” Eddie quickly goes to Buck and gently takes Baby Joy out of his arms. Buck lets go hesitantly and his eyes become comically wide as Joy begins to quiet down almost instantly when Eddie cradles her in his arms.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“You’re kidding me,” He says, looking betrayed. “How did you do that?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“You’re stressed out and panicking,” Eddie says patiently. “Which means you’re stressing her out in return. Babies can sense that sort of thing, you know.” A smirk appears on his face. “Unless she just prefers me to you,” He looks down at Joy, cooing at her. “You prefer me to your Uncle Buck, don’t you, honey?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“I hate you,” Buck grumbles, sinking down into the couch. “I’ll have you know that I’ll always be her favorite.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“I’m surprised Albert isn’t fighting you for that title.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Hah! He can try.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Where are Chim and Maddie, anyway?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Date night,” Buck replies, reaching out for Joy again, sighing in relief when Eddie gives her back and she doesn’t immediately start crying again, instead just reaching up and fisting her little hand in his shirt. He all but melts, smiling dopily down at her. She really <em>is</em> a little angel when she isn’t screaming loud enough to wake half of Los Angeles.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“It’s their first night out since Joy was born,” He continues, looking up at Eddie now that he’s sure Joy’s not going to throw another tantrum. “I offered to babysit, and, well…”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Eddie looks amused as he sits down next to Buck, stretching his arm over the back of the couch, his thigh pressing into Buck’s. “Just because she happened to have a crying fit while you happened to be babysitting doesn’t mean you’re terrible at this, you know. Babies cry sometimes. It’s been known to happen.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Buck pouts at him. “Stop making fun of me.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Eddie tries to keep a straight face and fails miserably. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Careful not to dislodge Joy, Buck picks up a couch cushion and throws it at Eddie’s face. Eddie mock-glares at him.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“You’re a coward, starting something when you know I can’t retaliate since you’re holding your niece.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Buck smirks smugly. “This little one will protect me,” He says and bends down to nuzzle her head, making her burst out into giggles. Eddie has to look away abruptly, something inexplicably warm and fuzzy building in his chest, a feeling of want so strong he thinks his heart might burst.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>It's been a while since Eddie had come to the long overdue realization that the feelings he had for his best friend might not have been as platonic as he’d thought. It had dawned on him, ironically enough, while he had been dating Ana Flores. As smart and kind and pretty as she was, no amount of time they spent together had ever made him feel as at home and carefree and…<em>safe</em>, even, as coming back home after every single date with her, to see Buck either on his couch playing with Christopher or waiting with a cup of coffee and a soft smile long after Chris was in bed. The moment he’d started realizing that was the moment he started noticing everything else, the way they were constantly in sync in everything they did; be it tiding up Buck’s living room after movie night with Christopher or out in the field, doing their jobs and saving lives. The way he gravitated to Buck, constantly in his orbit, wanting to share any piece of good or exciting news or even random trivia with him, first, and no one else. The way watching Buck with his son sometimes moved him so much, he’d need a moment to compose himself, to hide the feelings he felt must show so plainly on his face, clear for the world to see.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>After that, he had to break up with Ana. And he <em>still </em>hasn’t done anything about his feelings, because, well…</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Well, Eddie has never claimed to be brave when it comes to matters of the heart. There’s a reason why Buck has teasing called him ‘emotionally constipated’ more than a couple of times.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>There’s a knock on the door, bringing Eddie out of his musings. Buck perks up.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“I ordered us some pizza before you got here,” He says and nods to his wallet on the coffee table. “Could you go get it?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Eddie is relieved to do so, convinced that he won’t be able to conceal the extent of his affections the longer he keeps watching Buck with Baby Joy. As he takes the pizza from the delivery guy, he hears Joy begin to fuss again and doesn’t even need to look over his shoulder to know that Buck is panicking. He can’t help but chuckle.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The delivery guy peers around the doorway and smiles at what Eddie presumes is Buck with Joy. “Newborn, eh?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Yeah,” Eddie laughs fondly as he pays him. “She’s got quite the pair of lungs on her.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The delivery guy shakes his head with an endeared smile. “Looks like you and your husband have your hands full.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Eddie stills at the innocuous remark and before he can say anything, the delivery guy has bid him goodbye and left. He closes the door slowly, frozen in place.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>It’s not an unreasonable assumption, he thinks. Hell, it’s probably one he would make himself. It shouldn’t be that surprising that people look at him and Buck, with a baby between them and automatically think they’re together. He wouldn’t be surprised if the same thing has happened whenever Buck has joined him and Christopher on any of their outings.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>No, what <em>is</em> surprising, somehow despite the fact that he knows he has feelings for his best friend, is how desperately he wants it to be true. How much he wants Buck to be with him and Christopher, the three of them a family; how easy it is to envision it and scarily enough, how easy it is to go even further and see them many years along the line, still together, possibly even with another child-</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Eddie?” Buck’s voice sounds in equal parts amused and concerned. “Are you just gonna stand there with the pizza all day?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Eddie turns to face him. Joy seems to have calmed down, since Buck has placed her back in her crib. Taking a step towards him, Buck must see some of the existential crisis playing out in Eddie’s head right now on his face because he quickly takes the pizza from him and sets it down.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Hey, man,” All traces of amusement are gone from his face now. “What’s wrong?”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>There are a number of things that Eddie wants to say. That he <em>should </em>say. He knows he shouldn’t jump into something without thinking about it properly, especially after the disaster that was him moving too fast and too recklessly with Ana.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>And yet.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>This isn’t just anyone. This is Buck.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>And Eddie isn’t even perfectly sure that Buck even feels the same way, but-</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>He’s never felt quite so compelled to just go for it, to throw caution to the wind and be <em>brave </em>for once as he does now.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Slowly, Eddie sways into Buck’s space, cupping the back of his neck and pressing his forehead to his. He feels Buck exhale sharply, stiffening for a brief moment, before melting into his hold.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“<em>Eddie</em>,” Buck breathes, his voice breaking on the last syllable.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“Is this okay?” Eddie whispers, not quite sure what it is that he’s asking permission for.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>Is it okay for me to touch you? Is it okay for us to cross that line? Is it okay that nothing is ever going to be the same again?</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>
    <em>Are you sure you want me, baggage, demons and all?</em>
  </p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Buck responds by closing the space between them and kissing him.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>It’s soft and gentle and sweet, somehow both hesitant and confident at the same time, so much like Buck himself that Eddie smiles into the kiss, joyful laughter caught in his throat as he pulls him closer. They keep it at that, mindful of the fact that there’s a baby less than five feet away from them, not even kissing after a point but just swaying together, breathing in each other’s air.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“So, this is new,” Buck murmurs what may be twenty seconds or twenty years later.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Eddie hums. “Feels like we’ve been dancing around it for a lot longer than we’ve both realized.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Buck chuckles. “I wasn’t sure if you felt the same way.” He admits. “And…I guess I was scared, too.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Eddie pulls away slightly to look at him. “So was I,” He says quietly. “Hell, I still am. But…” He pauses momentarily, trying to find the words. “I think we can be good together. We <em>are </em>good together.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Buck’s responding smile is like sunshine personified and Eddie can’t help but kiss it, lingering softly, just because he can.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“I guess we’re really doing this then,” Buck says, breathlessly when they part.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>As if on cue, Joy begins to fuss again and Eddie laughs at Buck’s groan.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“I think she’s hungry,” Eddie says. “And our pizza is getting cold.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>“But we’ll talk later, right?” Buck asks, rather anxiously. “We need to figure this out-and work-and Christopher-“</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>The fact that Buck’s already thinking of Chris makes Eddie’s heart swell. “We will,” He assures him, taking his hand in his, smiling when Buck interlinks their fingers. “One thing at a time.”</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>Joy makes another disgruntled noise and Buck finally nods, his smile returning as he turns to check on her. And Eddie-Eddie cannot be happier.</p>
</div><div class="">
  <p>And maybe, for once, he gets to keep this.</p>
</div>
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